Arts
-- Library Journal, 10/15/2005
AGLE, JOSH. Shag: The Art of Josh Agle. Chronicle. Oct. 2005. c.224p. illus. ISBN 0-8118-5096-X. $40. FINE ARTS
This book marks the first comprehensive monograph on graphic turned popular artist Agle, commonly known as "Shag," whose commercial work has propelled him to international notoriety. Slated to coincide with a traveling exhibition of the artist's' work to show in Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, and Sydney this fall, this fantastic catalog is replete with retro allusions to Ratpack style, tiki-lounge chic, and Mod culture and is suffused with benign examples of the political and social preoccupations of the 1950s and early 1960s—often with deliciously bizarre twists. An illuminating foreword by La Luz gallery owner Billy Shire provides insight into Agle's drive and the long-term significance of his signature Shag style, and an enlightening essay by art critic Colin Berry (Sybex: A Pocket Tour of Music on the Internet) discusses the genesis and evolution of Shag and its specific cultural influences while providing a glimpse of the meticulous nature of Agle's technique. An informative complement to Bottomless Cocktail: The Art of Shag, this work is recommended for libraries focusing on contemporary art and popular culture.—Savannah Schroll, formerly with Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, DC
AVEDON, RICHARD. Woman in the Mirror: 1945–2004. Abrams. Nov. 2005. c.248p. photogs. index. ISBN 0-8109-5962-3. $65. PHOTOG
Avedon (1923–2004) has been called the "poet of portraiture," and for good reason. His distinctive fashion images have captured beautiful women in classical, life-expressing, and innovative poses. Published in conjunction with the 20th-anniversary edition of Avedon's In the American West: Richard Avedon, Photographs 1979–1984 and accompanying a nationally traveling exhibition, this book consists of photographs that "feed the eye" and leave a lasting impression on the viewer. The 125 portraits range from the elegant to the playful to the bizarre, with subjects including actresses, models, writers, designers, and "down-home" girls next door. Each photograph is technically a piece of art; tones, texture, value range, and composition are all there. In addition to the images, art historian and critic Anne Hollander (Feeding the Eye) offers an incisive essay elaborating on the people and influences that helped shape Avedon's vision. Recommended for public libraries, special libraries, and coffee-table connoisseurs.—Karen MacMurray, Cape Coral P.L., FL
BISHOP, CLAIRE. Installation Art: A Critical History. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group. 2005. 144p. photogs. index. ISBN 0-415-97412-7. pap. $39.95. FINE ARTS
Installation art is more of an impulse than a unitary movement, and artists from the surrealists to the minimalists have created installations. London Evening Standard critic Bishop (curator, Royal Coll. of Art, London) offers a simple but comprehensive breakdown of the subgenres of post-1960 installation art and explores the ideological underpinnings of installation. While the art may be political, confrontational, dreamlike, or a purely aesthetic experience, all of its artists, Bishop explains, are invested in expanding the role of the art viewer from that of a passive observer of static objects to an active participant in an enveloping art experience. She also examines weaknesses of installation, e.g., that the intent of the artist is frequently overlooked or overwhelmed by the peripheral experiences of the viewer. The many photographs do a reasonable job of documenting the works of such artists as Vito Acconci, Ilya Kabakov, and Olafur Eliasson. An excellent introduction to an important aspect of contemporary art, this work is recommended for academic and larger public libraries.—Amy K. Weiss, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara
DE SMET, CATHÉRINE. Le Corbusier: Architect of Books, 1912–1965. Lars Müller Pubs., dist. by D.A.P. Oct. 2005. c.250p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 3-03-778034-7. $50. GRAPHIC ARTS
Le Corbusier, most famous as an architect, was also a gifted book designer, creating some 35 books between 1912 (at age 25) and 1960. This catalog of an eponymous exhibition, curated by art historian and critic de Smet and on view in Italy and France through 2006, illustrates these book designs in beautiful color and black-and-white plates that also feature complete book covers, interiors, preliminary sketches, and mockups. De Smet discusses how Le Corbusier's layouts accomplished, in his words, an "argument of illustrations" that could cause "facts to leap to the reader's eye through the power of imagery" and considers his typographic choices, use of photomontage, and synthesis of diverse media. It's fascinating to read that he viewed books as a perfect expression of a "machine society," better suited to mass production than craftwork. General readers will be attracted to the fine illustrations, but this book will be of greatest interest to students and scholars of graphic design, architecture, and Le Corbusier himself. For libraries collecting graphic design and architecture titles.—Michael Dashkin, Qualcomm, San Diego
HAAS, ROBERT B. Through the Eyes of the Gods: An Aerial Vision of Africa. National Geographic: National Geographic Society. 2005. c.208p. photogs. ISBN 0-7922-3882-6. $50. PHOTOG
Haas (A Vision of Africa) has a classic National Geographic eye for natural light, color, location, topography, wildlife, and indigenous populations. In his fifth photographic book on Africa, which coincides with exhibitions in Dallas, New York, and Washington, DC, through January 2006, he takes that eye aloft in a helicopter, elevating his camera while retaining ground-bound detail. These photographs often look like layered fabrics, folded and crimped and in beautiful tones. However, Haas's brief commentary—12 essays based on his journal entries that accompany some of the images—and his visuals, populated by running animals or tiny people going about life in interesting geometrics of villages or plains, present a lofty, "cleansed" vision of the continent, a few hundred feet removed from the villages decimated by corrupt government, AIDS, famine, civil war, and bottomless poverty. By visual excellence and intent, Haas's book is superb, but in the context of a nearly ruined continent maybe too broken to fix, it is situated above the fray. Recommended for larger photographic collections. [Proceeds from the sale of this book will go toward funding National Geographic's research, conservation, and exploration efforts.—Ed.]—David Bryant, New Canaan Lib., CT
LYONS, CLAIRE L. & OTHERS. Antiquity & Photography: Early Views of Ancient Mediterranean Sites. GettyMuseum. 2005. 240p. photogs. index. ISBN 0-89236-805-5. $65. PHOTOG
Early photography collections, especially those that document ethnicity and archaeological or historic sites, are increasingly featured in monographs and exhibitions. This erudite publication accompanies what promises to be an engaging show on display at the Getty Villa during the first half of 2006. Through historic photos and essays by scholars of archaeology and ancient art, it explores links between photography and archaeology in the Mediterranean between 1840 and 1880. French photographer Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey and American photographer William James Stillman are singled out for separate biographical studies. Portfolios of works by a dozen other photographers are sandwiched between the black-and-white and sometimes tinted or hand-colored Daguerreotypes; albumen, silver, carbon, and salted paper prints; and photolithographs of famous sites such as the Acropolis. The design is exquisite, the essays are illuminating, and the photos are unfailingly sharp. Highly recommended for art, archaeology, and classical research collections.—Russell T. Clement, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, IL
MATISSE, HENRI. Henri Matisse Drawings 1936: A Facsimile Edition. Braziller. Oct. 2005. c.88p. illus. ISBN 0-8076-1565-X. $49.95. FINE ARTS
In 1936, art critic Christian Zervos devoted three issues of Cahiers d'Art, a well-known European journal of contemporary art, to 39 of Henri Matisse's line drawings, which were collected into a single volume later that year. This handsome, slender book is a facsimile of that volume and a work of art unto itself—a tour de force of simplicity and sensuality. The images, primarily of nudes in the studio—some with mirrors showing the artist drawing, all emphasizing the flatness and whiteness of the paper—represent the culmination of Matisse's printed linear drawings. Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Richard Howard has translated a brief introductory essay by Zervos as well as a poem dedicated to Matisse by French poet and essayist Tristan Tzara (1896–1963), the father of Dadaism. The only thing missing from this edition is the original cover, which featured an image Matisse began drawing with scissors, fusing line with shape and color and producing brilliant optical effects that occupied his work for the rest of his life. An essential book for art students; recommended for all art book collections.—Ellen Bates, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
Young America: The Daguerreotypes of Southworth & Hawes. Steidl, dist. by D.A.P. Oct. 2005. 356p. ed. by Grant B. Romer & Brian Wallis. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 3-86521-066-X. $120. PHOTOG
Accompanying an eponymous traveling exhibition and featuring more than 150 full-scale color plates from the show as well as nearly 2000 additional black-and-white reproductions, this beautifully and copiously illustrated book is a noteworthy publication on one of the most celebrated photography studios in the United States. Southworth & Hawes was the result of a partnership between pharmacist-turned-entrepreneur Albert Sands Southworth (1811–94) and itinerant portrait painter Josiah Johnson Hawes (1808–1901) that represented political activists, abolitionists, artists, writers, and other prominent Bostonians. In this comprehensive resource for general readers and researchers, editors Romer (director, photography conservation, George Eastman House) and Wallis (director of exhibitions and chief curator, International Ctr. of Photography), as well as other distinguished contributors, address the historical and cultural significance of the studio. Also included are Southworth & Hawes's portraits, techniques, display collections, account books, and family genealogy; a chronology; sitters' biographies; an explanation of the Daguerreotype process; an exhibition checklist; and an annotated bibliography. This significant publication constitutes a worthy—albeit somewhat pricey—addition to large public, special, and academic research libraries. Highly recommended.—Cheryl Ann Lajos, Free Lib. of Philadelphia
LITERATURE
BITTLESTONE, ROBERT. Odysseus Unbound: The Search for Homer's Ithaca. CambridgeUniv.Oct. 2005. c.516p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-521-85357-5. $40. LIT
While the Homeric texts are a prominent feature of Western culture, the actuality of the world described in the Iliad and Odyssey is more problematic. Professional economist and amateur archaeologist Bittlestone takes up the challenge by drawing on the resources of satellite imagery, seismic research, geological evidence, and textual materials to propose an alternate location for Odysseus's Ithaca, one that more accurately fits the archaeological and textual evidence. Richly illustrated with photographs and maps, the book chronicles the explorations and investigations undertaken by Bittlestone and others to discover the lost "Strabo's Channel" (Strabo was a Greek geographer, historian, and philosopher and author of the ancient text Geographia), which would point to a different route for Odysseus. Appended to this book is an essay by James Diggle (Greek & Latin, Cambridge) that assesses the textual sources and one by JamesUnderhill (stratigraphy, Univ. of Edinburgh) that assesses the geological evidence. A fascinating and compelling book; recommended for both public and academic libraries.—T.L. Cooksey, Armstrong Atlantic State Univ., Savannah, GA
CHEKHOV, ANTON. Anton Chekhov: The Complete Plays. Norton. Nov. 2005. c.992p. tr. from Russian & ed. by Laurence Senelick. ISBN 0-393-04885-3. $39.95. DRAMA
Translations of Chekhov's work have been reviewed before in these pages. The concern now, as then, is the ease with which a particular translation can be voiced by the actor. Director, writer, and translator Curt Columbus's work for the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago is notable for its ability to bring Chekhov across the footlights to an audience out for the evening; Senelick (drama & oratory, Tufts Univ.) offers something of a different order entirely. His introductions to and annotations of the plays are of immense scholarly interest and will be important to both Russian and theater departments. Senelick's accomplishment is astounding, and he has done some amazing detective work in assembling variants of the plays, untranslated work (e.g., the newly discovered "The Power of Hypnosis"), and dialog pieces that Chekhov wrote for comic journals in the 1880s. Audiences would probably rather hear Columbus's more colloquial version, while Senelick's high-toned, even elegant dialog might work best for scholars or for reading aloud at home. Strongly recommended for academic libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/05.]—Larry Schwartz, Minnesota State Univ. Lib., Moorhead
KARLIN, DANIEL. Proust's English. OxfordUniv.Nov. 2005. c.240p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-19-925688-8. $45. LIT
Karlin (English, University Coll., London; coeditor, The Poems of Robert Browning) analyzes French novelist Marcel Proust's A la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time) and the English vocabulary that exists in this literary masterpiece, revealing an English world therein. He describes such French high-society trends as Anglomanie ("an excessive admiration" for all things English), which contributed to the frequent use of English words and phrases by Proust and his characters. The etymological descriptions of French words introduced into the English lexicon and later reintroduced to the French as English words are very interesting. Karlin suggests that in Proust's work English exists as an intermediate language. He cites numerous passages to substantiate his theories, concluding that English is the "second language of the novel." An appendix that lists English words found in A la recherche rounds out the text. This valuable contribution to Proustian studies is highly recommended for academic libraries that support French literature and language studies.—Erica Swenson Danowitz, American Univ. Lib., Washington, DC
MARKUS, JULIA. J. Anthony Froude: The Last Undiscovered Great Victorian. Scribner. Oct. 2005. c.352p. photogs. ISBN 0-7432-4555-5. $27. LIT
Markus (English, Hofstra Univ.), whose previous biographical efforts include Dared and Done, her acclaimed work on the marriage of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, here offers an admirable yet crushingly dense take on the life of the scandal-prone Victorian prose stylist best remembered for his biography of friend and mentor Thomas Carlyle. As a young man, James Anthony Froude (1818–94) destroyed his career at Oxford by publishing The Nemesis of Faith, a semi-autobiographical novel about an adulterous cleric who harbors serious religious doubts. He spent the next three decades rebuilding his reputation, in part through his influential efforts as editor of Fraser's Magazine and his popular series on the history of England, only to shatter it once more through his work by documenting the unhappy and allegedly unconsummated marriage of Thomas and Jane Carlyle. Markus's treatment of Froude is unquestionably compelling. However, given the level of detail she provides—covering Froude's abusive childhood through his reinstatement late in life at Oxford—it is unfortunate that we never really understand what made this fascinating man tick. Probably not of interest to the casual reader, but academic libraries should pick this one up.—William D. Walsh, Georgia State Univ. Lib., Atlanta
MILOSZ, CZESLAW. Legends of Modernity: Essays and Letters from Occupied Poland 1942–43. Farrar. Oct. 2005. c.272p. tr. from Polish by Madeline G. Levine. ISBN 0-374-18499-2. $24. LIT
Modernity as a concept includes several movements that scrutinized historical events and scientific research to redefine religious practices and teachings and find new ideas and expression—in other words, not a simple concept to write about or read. These essays and letters by Nobel laureate Milosz (To Begin Where I Am) were composed in German-occupied Poland during l942 and l943. Written to the young intellectual Jerzy Andrejewski, the letters reveal Milosz's concern about the political climate of the era and the deterioration of religious influence owing to the chaos all across Europe and the rest of the world. Layered and dense, the essays explore the ideas of William James, André Gide, Stendhal (Henri Beyle), Honoré de Balzac, and others as they relate to religious faith, reason and rationalism, contradictions, doubting, and believing in a civilized world and its religious institutions. Here Milosz was speaking of the Catholic Church primarily, believing that it was still stalwart and that it played a key role as a protector at every level of human endeavor. Most of the pieces deal with the sway of the historical process over the universe of ideas, all couched in a metaphysical vision of observation and emotion. Reading Milosz is a demanding, rewarding, and ultimately powerful experience for the mind and the soul. Recommended for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/05.]—Robert Kelly, Fort Wayne Communities Schs., IN
PEARSON, ROGER. Voltaire Almighty: A Life in Pursuit of Freedom. Bloomsbury, dist. by St. Martin's. Nov. 2005. c.480p. bibliog. index. ISBN 1-58234-630-5. $35. LIT
Pearson (French, Oxford; ed. and trans., Candide and Other Stories) has written a captivating and revealing book about one of the giants of the French Enlightenment, Voltaire (né François-Marie Arouet, 1694–1778). Voltaire acquired this pen name, some say, because as a child he was called le petit volentaire, or "the determined little thing." Though he never married, he did have intimate relationships with two women: French aristocrat Gabrielle-Émilie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil, who died shortly after giving birth to a child conceived with another lover, and his niece, Marie-Louise Denis, with whom he spent the last 25 years of his life. Voltaire fired one of the first salvos of the French Enlightenment when he wrote Letters Concerning the English Nation, in which he saw English customs and morals as superior to those of the French, whom he found to be less tolerant. He battled all of his life against religious and political intolerance and was twice imprisoned for his views. A prolific playwright, he amassed a great fortune from his plays and other ventures. Pearson details Voltaire's life in an engaging style that sustains the reader's interest from start to finish. This delightful and well-organized book will have broad appeal and is highly recommended for all public and academic libraries.—Bob Ivey, Univ. of Memphis
STACH, REINER. Kafka: The Decisive Years. Harcourt. Nov. 2005. c.608p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-15-100752-7. $35. LIT
Surprisingly, there has never been a definitive biography of Franz Kafka, the Prague-born German-language novelist and enigmatic figure of early 20th-century literature. Stach, a German writer and scholar, remedies that deficit with this masterly work, which, while not yet comprehensive (it is the first of a projected three-volume study), seeks to give the reader the experience of "what it was like to be Franz Kafka." To that end, the author concentrates on what he considers the decisive period in the relatively short life of his subject. Relying on more than 4000 pages of Kafka's diary entries, letters, and literary fragments, he raises the curtain in 1910, the threshold of the author's major creative period that extended beyond the outbreak of World War I to 1915. This 35-chapter volume offers an eclectic array of themes and commentaries on Kafka's life and work and includes both extensive notes and two 16-page black-and-white photo inserts. Though only the first volume, The Decisive Years can stand by itself as a distinguished and original contribution to the study of Kafka. Highly recommended for large public libraries and all literature and academic collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/05; for another illuminating study of Kafka the man, consider Nicholas Murray's Kafka, an LJ Best Book of 2004.—Ed.] Ali Houissa, CornellUniv. Lib., Ithaca, NY
WORTHEN, JOHN. D.H. Lawrence: The Life of an Outsider. Counterpoint: Perseus. Nov. 2005. c.544p. photogs. maps. index. ISBN 1-58243-341-0. $29.95. LIT
Worthen (D.H. Lawrence studies, emeritus, Univ. of Nottingham) is one of the world's preeminent Lawrence scholars; Volume 1 of the definitive Cambridge biography of Lawrence, D.H. Lawrence: The Early Years 1885–1912, is just one of his many works on the artist. This new one-volume biography looks at the writer through the lens of his outsider status. Each era of his life is covered in discrete chapters, making it easy for the casual reader or undergraduate student to focus on a particular area of interest. But reading from cover to cover will reward the more serious reader with an intimate and compelling portrait of one of the major luminaries of British modernism. Worthen's reliance on rare letters and original research brings to light the many fascinating aspects of Lawrence's life: his relationship with his colorful wife, Frieda; his often troubled interactions with friends and patrons, such as Lady Ottoline Morrell and Mabel Dodge Luhan; and his role as an early spokesperson for sexual liberation, in spite of his discomfort with his own body. Highly recommended for academic and larger public libraries.—Alison M. Lewis, Drexel Univ. Lib., Philadelphia
ZIPES, JACK. Hans Christian Andersen: The Misunderstood Storyteller. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group. 2005. c.164p. filmog. bibliog. ISBN 0-415-97433-X. pap. $19.95.LIT
Noted folk and fairy tale scholar Zipes (German, Scandinavian, & Dutch, Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Beautiful Angiola: The Lost Sicilian Folk and Fairy Tales of Laura Gonzenbach) devotes a significant part of his slim volume, published on the 2005 bicentenary of Danish children's author Hans Christian Andersen's birth, to how the famous writer has been intentionally or otherwise misunderstood and misinterpreted over time. Zipes takes a sociohistorical and biographical approach to Andersen's life and works, focusing on the popular fairy tales but also covering a selection of his lesser-known novels, stories, poetry, drama, and travel books. Two of the four chapters are expanded from previously published essays. Libraries with limited funding seeking a biography on this writer are advised to purchase Jens Andersen's fuller Hans Christian Andersen or Jackie Wullschlager's Hans Christian Andersen: The Life of a Storyteller. This work is recommended for larger academic libraries and those with Germanic or Scandinavian studies departments.—Martha Stephenson, Univ. of Wisconsin Lib., Whitewater
PERFORMING ARTS
BERGER, WILLIAM. Puccini Without Excuses: A Refreshing Reassessment of the World's Most Popular Composer. Vintage. Nov. 2005. c.512p. illus. maps. index. ISBN 1-4000-7778-8. pap. $16. MUSIC
Following up on his well-received treatments of opera composers Giuseppe Verdi (Verdi with a Vengeance) and Richard Wagner (Wagner Without Fear), radio commentator Berger now addresses operas by perennial favorite Giacomo Puccini in this enjoyable, provocative tome. He skillfully sets Puccini within his times before discussing the circumstances of each opera's premiere and famous interpreters of the roles, providing character lists and synopses and fleshing all this out with musical commentary. Chapters on opera production and the genre's relation to film are useful, but a chapter contrasting the character of Tosca with Gregorian sensibilities and several other seemingly far-fetched conclusions strains credulity. Berger's lucid yet hardly dispassionate views are designed to elicit strong reactions, so this is not the first place one should go for an unbiased introduction to the composer's oeuvre. But the author's grounding information is helpful for the novice, and he refers to some of the current authoritative sources, e.g., Julian Budden's Puccini: His Life and Works and Mary-Jane Phillips-Matz's Puccini: A Biography. Recommended for music collections and especially for public libraries serving opera fans.—Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH
BLECHA, PETER. Rock & Roll Archaeologist: How I Chased Down Kurt's Stratocaster, the "Layla" Guitar, and Janis's Boa. Sasquatch. Nov. 2005. c.224p. photogs. ISBN 1-57061-443-1. pap. $18.95. MUSIC
This is the true story of how fanatical music memorabilia and record collector Blecha (Taboo Tunes) parlayed his passion into a dream job at the Experience Music Project (EMP) in Seattle. Part 1 of the book is dedicated to his years searching for any and all materials relating to Pacific Northwest music, while the rest describes his ascension to the post of senior curator at EMP. With millions of dollars at his discretion, he gleefully acquires countless historic pieces of rock'n'roll memorabilia, including Bob Dylan's first guitar, Elvis Presley's motorcycle jacket, and Jimi Hendrix's personal record collection. Though the book can be tedious—especially where Blecha goes into obsessive detail about his finds—overall it makes for an interesting read. Recommended for libraries collecting extensively in rock'n'roll history or museum history, as well as most public libraries and interested academic libraries in the Pacific Northwest.—Todd Spires, Bradley Univ. Lib., Peoria, IL
CHONG, KEVIN. Neil Young Nation: A Quest, an Obsession, and a True Story. Greystone, dist. by Publishers Group West. Nov. 2005. c.256p. ISBN 1-55365-116-2. pap. $16.95. MUSIC
My, my, hey, hey, Chong (Baroque-a-Nova) has little to say in this puerile, self-indulgent, and banal quasi memoir. An out-of-work writer, he decides to retrace his music idol Neil Young's inaugural journey from semi-obscurity in Canada to success in the United States. Following a stale formula, he gathers a few buddies to accompany him, packs up, and hits the road. Scenes of pot smoking, drinking, and camping out ensue as the men try in their own shallow ways to find meaning in life. In an effort to re-create Young's experience as closely as possible, Chong even tries unsuccessfully to buy a hearse like the one that Young drove to Los Angeles in the early 1960s. Interviews with several people who knew Young in high school and club owners at venues where Young played with his early band, the Squires, are interspersed with well-known facts about the musician's life. Chong reveals nothing but his own insecurities about the writing life and uses Young simply as a ploy for whining about turning 30 (Young will celebrate his 60th birthday on November 12). Not recommended.—Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Lancaster, PA
COLEMAN, TERRY. Olivier. Holt. Nov. 2005. c.496p. photogs. index. ISBN 0-8050-7536-4. $30. FILM
Celebrated stage and silver screen star Laurence Olivier is routinely ranked as one of the 20th century's greatest actors. Truly a man for all seasons, he could be credible as the ardently romantic Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, a king in Henry V, or a washed-up vaudevillian in The Entertainer. Such a great subject demands a great book, but despite being granted wide access to materials from Olivier's estate, journalist Coleman's (The Nelson Touch) biography ranks as a disappointment. Olivier worked with a who's who of stage and screen stars, yet these personalities fail to come to life on the page. Granted, as a man who assumed many identities in his acting career, the "real" Olivier is hard to find. But Coleman's main focus is the well-plowed territory of Olivier's tempestuous love-hate relationship with Vivien Leigh, a relationship at times as intense as any Shakespearean tragedy. Olivier's own memoir, Confessions of an Actor, and Anthony Holden's solid biography, Laurence Olivier, are both o.p., but Coleman's book fails to fill this gap. Not a necessary addition for most libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/05.]—Stephen Rees, Levittown Lib., PA
GILLES, D.B. The PortableFilmSchool: Everything You'd Learn in FilmSchool (Without Ever Going to Class). Griffin: St. Martin's. Oct. 2005. c.256p. index. ISBN 0-312-34738-3. pap. $14.95.
POLISH, MARK & OTHERS. The Declaration of Independent Filmmaking: An Insider's Guide to Making Movies Outside of Hollywood. Harvest: Harcourt. Oct. 2005. c.288p. photogs. index. ISBN 0-15-602952-9. pap. $15. FILM
DIY film literature grows with these two additions to the genre. Drawing on many years of experience as a screenwriting professor and story analyst, Gilles (NYU Tisch Sch. of the Arts; The Screenwriter Within) now attempts to venture into a broader topic: the experience of going through film school. Readers hoping for a comprehensive encapsulation will be disappointed. Direction is only touched on and technical aspects are barely considered in favor of a focus on writing (not a bad strategy for film beginners to adopt). Included are essays on finding script ideas, writing exercises, writing short scripts, and rewriting, as well as extensive guidance on treatment writing and outlining and advice about working with agents.
Filmmakers Mark and Michael Polish employ a drastically different style and method, culling their experience writing, producing, and directing three moderately successful feature films—Norfolk, Jackpot, and Twin Falls Idaho. Chronicled here is the entire filmmaking process, from conception and fund-raising to shooting and finishing to selling and marketing one's film. Overall, the Polish brothers, joined by Jonathan Sheldon, head of their company's development, write in a way that illuminates the details more clearly than most technical scribes. While this approach doesn't raise Declaration above some of the genre's standards, e.g., Lenny Lipton's Independent Filmmaking, the authors' narrative form will certainly appeal to aspiring filmmakers. Meanwhile, what Gilles really offers is explicit guidance on film writing; that isn't to say that his book doesn't have a place in the growing canon of filmmaking books for neophytes, just that the title is misleading. Both works are recommended for general collections and especially for film libraries and performing arts collections.—Michael Tierno, New York
GILVEY, JOHN ANTHONY. Before the Parade Passes By: Gower Champion and the Glorious American Musical. St. Martin's. Nov. 2005. c.384p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 0-312-33776-0. $29.95. THEATER
Most fans of the American musical know how director/choreographer Gower Cham­pion (1919–80) tragically died on the afternoon of the Broadway opening of 42nd Street, the culmination of a lengthy and genre-changing career that included Bye Bye Birdie and Hello, Dolly! Gilvey (theater & speech, St. Joseph's Coll., NY) repositions Champion at center stage with this extensively researched, well-written biography that incorporates information from the Champion archives and those associated with the artist, e.g., his wife and Broadway luminaries Carol Channing and Jerry Orbach. Champion's personal life is intermingled with the story of his professional life, with a focus on the development of his choreography. Covering both the hits and the flops, the personal triumphs and the failures, Gilvey follows Champion's major contributions to the American musical: his use of choreography to tell a story with "seamless transitions from dialogue into song" and his use of "continuous staging," which "dissolve[ed]…one scene into the next in full view of the audience." David Payne-Carter's Gower Champion covers similar ground but without the benefit of his subject's archives. Highly recommended for theater and dance collections.—Laura A. Ewald, Murray State Univ. Lib., KY
GREER, JAMES. Guided By Voices: A Brief History. Black Cat: Grove. Nov. 2005. c.320p. illus. discog. ISBN 0-8021-7013-7. pap. $16. MUSIC
For rock critics, Ohioan indie rockers Guided by Voices (GBV) are a dream. Their career is the classic underdog-makes-good story: a ragtag bunch of mid-thirties schoolteachers and journeymen give rock stardom one more try—and succeed! To recount this journey, screenwriter, former SPIN editor, and erstwhile GBV bassist Greer puckishly begins with the series of 2004 gigs that marked the end of GBV. From there, he ducks and dives through 20 years, with plenty of rambling interjections and conversational off-ramps along the way. Greer is understandably focused on songwriting engine/frontman Robert Pollard, the lone constant in GBV, but there are plenty of band members and confederates carrying their narrative weight, including critic Richard Meltzer and Who guitarist Pete Townshend. It's a story of friendship, drinking, music, and how you don't have to leave home to become a star. This first biography of the band will be pleasingly familiar to readers of Jimmy McDonough's labor of love, Shakey: Neil Young's Biography. Warmly recommended for all libraries.—Matthew Moyer, Jacksonville P.L., FL
PHILOSOPHY
PEPERZAK, ADRIAAN THEODOOR. Philosophy Between Faith and Theology: Addresses to Catholic Intellectuals. Univ. of Notre Dame, dist. by Univ. of Chicago. Oct. 2005. c.216p. index. ISBN 0-268-03886-4. $46; pap. ISBN 0-268-03887-2. $22. PHIL
In this collection of 14 essays, Peperzak (philosophy, LoyolaUniv., Chicago) expounds on various topics related to Christian thought in the context of philosophy. These topics include the importance of theology in the university; the relationship among philosophy, theology, and scientific disciplines; and the place of Christian thought in philosophy. Throughout, he argues that Christian thought in the work of Christian philosophers and intellectuals must necessarily be a part of their academic rationale. The latter essays focus on ever-higher themes, i.e., faith, prayer, salvation, grace, and the general concept of God, but the text is not a simple recitation of catechism—Peperzak relates each notion to larger concerns of philosophical thought and succeeds in making a wealth of interesting points. The discussions might appeal to general readers, Christian and non-Christian alike, but they assume a great deal of prior knowledge, and their content is thoroughly intellectual in nature; therefore, this book is recommended only for academic settings and public libraries with unconventional demands in the area of philosophical literature.—Jason Moore, Madison Cty. Lib. Sys., MS
POETRY
ALI, KAZIM. The Far Mosque. Alice James. Oct. 2005. c.80p. ISBN 1-882295-53-6. pap. $13.95. POETRY
Ali, author of the novel Quinn's Passage, reveals a rich and daring poetic voice in his first book of poetry. If one of the poet's tasks is to revive the mythological powers in things, Ali does so skillfully here. The poet aims to expand the space of meaning by relying on the juxtapositions of dense and deep imagery: "The wind over open water: Sharp howling/ Guitar strings breaking." His poetry is reminiscent of the works of French poet René Char in its surrealistic style and lyrical fragmentations. In addition, the mystic voices of the East, which express a passionate yearning for a harmonious unity with absolute beauty, are echoed throughout most of his poems. Here the self delves inward to discover and celebrate the pure light of awakening: "One day in the marketplace, estranged and weeping/ you will understand the only far mosque is the one within." Ali's poetry resists any easy interpretations and hence invites the reader to participate in the act of writing. Recommended for large public libraries.—Sadiq Alkoriji, Tomball Coll. & Community Lib., Harris Cty., TX
COLLINS, BILLY. The Trouble with Poetry and Other Poems. Random. Oct. 2005. c.85p. ISBN 0-375-50382-X. $22.95. POETRY
"The birds are in their trees,/ the toast is in the toaster,/ and the poets are at their windows." As implied by this line—and the book's very title—a major concern of Collins's new collection is the art, the craft, of poetry. As the former poet laureate enters his seventh decade ("Because tomorrow/ I will turn 420 in dog years…,"), it is an appropriate time, perhaps, for him to reflect on his aesthetics, on the seemingly casual, natural, sure steps that brought about his poems: "The other day as I was ricocheting slowly/ off the pale blue walls of this room/ bouncing from typewriter to piano,/ from bookshelf to an envelope lying on the floor." Collins is as close as anyone in contemporary American poetry will likely get to being a household name. Blame his sweet, smart, and wise poems, which are always accessible; his colorful personality and ungoverned humor; or his remarkable energy—it is, no doubt, a combination of all these things. "The trouble with poetry," he suggests, "is that it encourages the writing of more poetry," and this collection is as rich and mischievous as anything he has given us previously. Highly recommended.—Louis McKee, Painted Bride Arts Ctr., Philadelphia
SZE, ARTHUR. Quipu. CopperCanyon. 2005. c.101p. ISBN 1-55659-226-4. pap. $15. POETRY
A quipu is an assemblage of variegated, knotted cords used by the ancients for recording and calculation. In metaphorically applying the possibilities of the quipu to poetry, Sze (The Redshifting Web) weaves a shifting, shimmering fabric of images and instances, a vibrant homage to what Stevens called "the intricacies of appearance." If, as Sze writes, "The mind is new each day," then the things of this world afford endless opportunity for its replenishment and wonder: "Opening the screen door, you find a fat spider/ poised at the threshold. When I swat it,/ hundreds of tiny crawling spiders burst out./ What space in the mind bursts into waves/ of wriggling light?" With Ashberian spontaneity, Sze allows his surroundings to channel, then redirect his focus ("I try to see a bald eagle rest in a Douglas fir/ but catch my sleeve on thorns, notice blackberries"). But if the flow of his attentions seems randomly determined, his goal (evocative of both Stevens and Zen) is an imaginative harmony: "The mind is a tuning fork/ that we strike, and struck, in the syzygy/ of a moment,/ we find the skewed, tangled/ passions of a day begin to straighten, align, hum." Engaged with the quotidian across the spectrum of its manifestations, Sze recovers marvels in troubling times. For larger poetry collections.—Fred Muratori, Cornell Univ. Lib., Ithaca, NY
RELIGION
DARDESS, GEORGE. Meeting Islam: A Guide for Christians. Paraclete. (Many Mansions Series). 2005. c.256p. glossary. ISBN 1-55725-433-8. pap. $14.95. REL
Intrepid religious consumer Dardess (English, Allendale Columbia Sch.) writes of his experiences in upstate New York as he seeks to "meet Islam" through the local Islamic Center—first through Arabic language classes, then by studying the Qur'an with a tutor, and later by immersing himself, a Catholic, in understanding and interpreting Islam. Using simple Islamic beliefs such as Salat and Jihad, the person Muhammad, and festivals like Ramadan and Hajj as chapter headings, he attempts through the lens of his own experience to personalize an often vilified non-Western tradition. He further takes certain Islamic understandings and compares them with parallel Christian teachings, hoping to enrich and deepen the interfaith dialog. Dardess never decries his Catholicism; nor does he denigrate one faith tradition to privilege the other. By his own admission, his path is intended "to provide a feeling for how one's own meeting with Islam might unfold"—a lofty goal indeed. Recommended where interest in interfaith dialog and Islam in America warrants.—Sandra Collins, Univ. of Pittsburgh
ELLSBERG, ROBERT. Blessed Among All Women: Women Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time. Crossroad, dist. by National Bk. Network. 2005. c.320p. ISBN 0-8245-2251-6. $19.95. REL
In this companion to his 1997 All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time, Ellsberg, editor in chief of New York's Orbis Books, shifts from a day-by-day organization to a chronological presentation of his subjects, sketched within the eight Beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-12.More than 70 of the 137 original reflections on remarkable women featured in All Saints are reproduced here, with some modifications. Ellsberg adopts a wide view of what he considers "saints," naming those both officially and unofficially declared from New Testament times to today (e.g., Dorothy Day, Emily Dickenson, and Lady Godiva all make appearances). Some of the women he profiles are known not by name but by their heroic witness against injustice, such as the Mothers of the Disappeared in Argentina. Not all are Christian, and one is struck by the depths of goodness within their diversity: they are abolitionists, mystics, martyrs, reformers, and foundresses. Most entries, averaging two pages, include one or two bibliographic citations. Recommended for general and religious collections.—Anna M. Donnelly, St. John'sUniv.Lib., Jamaica, NY
GALAMBUSH, JULIE. The Reluctant Parting: How Did the Followers of Jesus Stop Being Jewish? HarperSanFrancisco: HarperCollins. Nov. 2005. c.288p. index. ISBN 0-06-059636-8. $24.95. REL
Responding to a synagogue's adult education program, Galambush (religion, Coll. of William and Mary; Jerusalem in the Book of Ezekiel) here attempts to explain the New Testament, chronicle Christianity's development into a religious tradition different from Judaism, and show how an understanding of the New Testament's Jewish context promotes cultural literacy and provides for a greater understanding of the work overall. In each chapter, she summarizes the cultural, historical, and religious issues existing in the books of the New Testament. The table of contents mentions neither notes nor a bibliography, both of which would have been useful for a book of this sort, but as an overview providing an introduction to the New Testament, The Reluctant Parting is recommended for public libraries where there is interest in the subject. Similar booksinclude Tikva Frymer-Kensky and others' Christianity in Jewish Terms and David Fox Sandmel's Irreconcilable Differences: A Learning Resource for Jews and Christians.—Naomi Hafter, Baltimore
MEYER, MARVIN. The Gnostic Discoveries: The Impact of the Nag Hammadi Library. HarperSanFrancisco: HarperCollins. Nov. 2005. c.240p. bibliog. ISBN 0-06-082108-6. $21.95. REL
Meyer (Bible & Christian studies, Chapman Univ.; The Gospels of Mary), one of the foremost experts on the Nag Hammadi Library, here presents a stellar review of several of these ancient Gnostic texts, suppressed by the Early Church and rediscovered in 1945. Through an examination of the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Truth, the related Berlin Codex, and other Nag Hammadi texts, he sheds new light on both the historical Jesus and the world in which he lived. Highlights of this book include an analysis of Valentian Nag Hammadi texts and many pre-Christian variants of wisdom that would later influence modern-day Christian beliefs. Beginning scholars studying Gnosticism and Early Christianity will find Meyer's introduction, in which he provides an excellent survey of works that examine Gnosticism—from both a pre– and a post–Nag Hammadi perspective—particularly invaluable. Highly recommended for all academic and religious collections.—Brad S. Matthies, Butler Univ. Lib., Indianapolis
RUSSO, STEVE. What's the Deal with Wicca?: A Deeper Look into the Dark Side of Today's Witchcraft. Bethany. 2005. c.192p. ISBN 0-7642-0136-0. pap. $11.99.
SANDERS, CATHERINE EDWARDS. Wicca's Charm: Understanding the Spiritual Hunger Behind the Rise of Modern Witchcraft and Pagan Spirituality. Shaw: WaterBrook. 2005. 256p. glossary. ISBN 1-57856-198-7. pap. $13.99. REL
The powerful attraction of Wicca has captured the attention of two different writers addressing two different audiences. Both try to get those interested in Wicca to discuss the choices they make. School assembly speaker and talk radio host Russo begins his book by first explaining what Wicca is. He knows his topic and has obviously spent a great deal of time talking and listening to the teens he is addressing. Though his aim is to get teens to talk about why Christianity would be a better choice, he's not overly preachy or condescending, and he repeatedly states that it is the reader's choice whether or not to practice Wicca. In fact, he is so good at explaining Wicca's appeal that, at least initially, he makes Wicca seem even more appealing than he intends.
Wicca's Charm, on the other hand, is intended for adults trying to understand why others practice Wicca. Sanders was a journalist on assignment when she was forced to examine her own stereotypical views of Wicca; subsequently, she secured a journalism fellowship to spend a year learning about Wicca and what makes it so appealing to its practitioners; an objective view of the tradition results. Discussion questions at the end of the book correspond to each of the chapters. The result is a good, basic overview of the origins and theories of the religion as well as plenty of firsthand accounts from current and former practitioners of Wicca. Both books will spark conversation if used as the writers intend, and both are fine choices for public libraries.—Jennifer Kuncken, Williamsburg Regional Lib., VA
The Trial of Joan of Arc. HarvardUniv.Nov. 2005. c.257p. tr. from Latin by Daniel Hobbins. maps. index. ISBN 0-674-01894-X. $24.95. REL
Joan of Arc, the French peasant girl who claimed God instructed her to lead the French army to victory at Orléans during the Hundred Years' War, has intrigued people for centuries. Captured by the Burgundians in 1430, she was held in a secular prison and tried the following year. Hobbins (history, Univ. of Texas, Arlington) has translated the entire Latin text of the trial as found in Pierre Champion's Proces de Condamnation de Jeanne d'Arc (1920), providing introductions and—in the case of matters dealing with court procedure rather than the actual trial—summaries. His translation is the first in 50 years. The text documents Joan's belief in the voices she heard, her resistance to authority, her "err" in faith to the Mother Church, and her immodest men's dress. After four months of trial, she submitted to a retraction and some rehabilitation but continued to wear men's clothing and was eventually burned at the stake as a relapsed heretic. This trial transcript demonstrates her lack of intimidation by authority and would support related materials in public library collections.—L. Kriz, West Des Moines P.L., IA
SPORTS & RECREATION
Halberstam, David. The Education of a Coach. Hyperion. Nov. 2005. c.288p. ISBN 1-4013-0154-1. $24.95. SPORTS
Here, estimable journalist Halberstam (The Teammates) examines the life, views, trials, and successes of a very private man. Bill Belichick is the low-key thinking man's football coach whose New England Patriots have won three of the last four Super Bowls. In number of playoff victories, Belichick has surpassed Vince Lombardi. He has the highest percentage of postseason wins in the history of the NFL. Halberstam had access not only to Belichick but also to many of his closest friends and colleagues. The one conspicuous absence among his sources was Bill Parcells, the difficult and talented coach from whose shadow Belichick slowly emerged. This thoughtful book is quite engaging, especially when it delves into the close relationship between Belichick and his father, Steve, a perceptive and honorable assistant coach and scout at the U.S. Naval Academy for over 30 years. Halberstam's long fascination with Belichick is vividly shown in this intriguing book. Highly recommended for all libraries.—John Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ. Lib., Camden, NJ
